French Swear Words in Quebec

Introduction to Quebec's Colorful Assortment of Religious Slurs

••• Dimitri Otis / Getty Images

Originally published July 23, 2011 | by Evelyn Reid - French swear words, as with swear words in general, often make reference to bodily excretions, orificial waste, sexual acts, incest, wedlock-free conception and sun-deprived body parts.

But in the region's usual stubborn manner, we like to do things a little different here in Quebec. And our French swear words do a spectacular job of verbalizing that.

First up? Our best-known swear word of all.

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Tabernacle

••• French swear words in Quebec include tabernacle, which to Catholics outside of the region, is a perfectly innocent box. Godong / Getty Images

Calice

In close contention with tabernacle for most popular swear word in Quebec is “calice,” a sacred goblet that may look innocent, perhaps even lush and ornate. But in Quebec, its very mention is wrought with profanity.*

*Why all the church slurs in Quebec? Up until Quebec's Quiet Revolution in the '60s, the Catholic Church had an iron grip on the province's social, and by extension, political mores which some historians compare to a dark ages of sorts, a time when Quebec fell behind the rest of North America on a variety of fronts including economic development, this when not too long ago, Montreal found itself competing with New York to become the continent's leading metropolis. It's stunning to think that contrary to its juggernaut past, in modern times, Montreal has the dubious distinction of being declared by some sources the poorest city in North America.

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05 of 08

Sacrement

••• Levi Bianco / Getty Images

One of Quebec's gentler swear words, "sacrement" is a little harsher than "oh diddly darn." But barely.

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Vierge

••• Bet you didn't see this one coming. Krysia Campos / Getty Images

Can't say "vierge" is used that often anymore but it happens, an innocent exclamation of note easily sandwiched into an impromptu string of slurs. Can you guess what vierge means and how it's used in everyday conversation?